Of Snow, Snowshoeing, and Snogging
by Artemis Hunt
Summary: Winter for Lily Evans is a natural miracle, however what happens when a natural disaster, James, brings her on an ice escapade...can she be convinced that some disasters are necessary? LilyJames not them falling in love, just friends, first in a series


Hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! However I must warn you it is very fluffy…

Of Snow, Snowshoeing, and Snogging 

Lily Evans stared out the foggy glass that led to the grounds of Hogwarts that currently looked like a winter wonderland after the most recent snowfall. Sighing she returned to her Potions essay on the effects of a sleeping drought put into eggnog.

_I can't believe Slughorn thinks this is going to be a fun essay. _Lily thought moodily _I don't **care** if you die from this kind of eggnog as long as I can finish this stupid essay!_

Winter was Lily's favorite season, especially when snow had just fallen and was still powdery with icicles hanging newly formed from every rooftop. Needless to say she was not happy to be here doing work. 

Settling in for another night of hard work Lily opened her Potions book only to find it being pulled from her hands by the very person she did not want to see right now… 

" Hullo Potter." Lily said unexcitedly while taking her book back from the overzealous boy who often reminded her of a hyper puppy that just won't go away. 

" Awww come on Lily! Lets go have fun! Look how perfect the snow is for a snowball fight!" James said, clearly trying to restrain himself from pulling Lily from the chair and forcing her into the winter night, not that she would have minded going outside, however she seriously doubted that James would like to walk quietly around in the woods and just soak in the wonders of winter. 

" Lily! You promised to be my friend for a month! Pleeeeeeease!" Groaning, Lily rubbed her temples before responding. 

"James, being your friend doesn't mean I'm at your beck and call to go…_gallivanting _around when I have work to do… something you should be doing too!" Lily knew she was going to regret promising to be friends with James for a month, even if it meant he also promised that he wouldn't flirt with her. But then again he did fight off those Slytherins. Shuddering Lily remembered how those five boys stole her wand and were planning what they were going to do while she was trapped in a corner. James had valiantly showed up and tried fight them off despite what looked like imminent defeat. Granted she did steal her wand back while they were distracted and Stunned four of her attackers. But she wouldn't have gotten her wand back if it hadn't been for James. 

Back in the present however, James knew defeat when he saw it and so he sullenly turned away. When he was leaving Lily reflected on how easy it was to get him away…too easy. 

Right on cue James turned back and took one last stand, armed with his best puppy dog eyes. 

" Please Lily? You deserve a break…and Slughorn won't care if you don't do the essay, you're his favorite student!" Lily took a deep breath and prepared to give her famous responsibility speak when James interrupted her again, " Plus its so beautiful out right now… don't you think it'll be fun to go out in the woods? Well at least on the edge of the forest." At this Lily was surprised. 

"No epic snowball battle?" She inquired sarcastically. James shook his head. 

" I can do that with Sirius and Remus…but they don't really get why I like to just walk around right after it snows…" Now Lily was extremely curious. 

" Why do you like it?' She asked, truly wondering if there was a side of James she had never seen before. 

He walked over to the window and rested his head against the cold glad before replying. 

" Its strange… but I love snow and winter times. Especially right after it snows like this when everything is so quiet, so still." He laughed quietly, " Most people would think it's strange that I love it, but I don't see how everyone doesn't like it. When you're out there its like you're all alone in the world, but not lonely, just peaceful." Realizing what he just said, James moved sheepishly away from the window. 

" Just thought that you might be the type who likes winter too Evans… sorry to bother you…" And he started towards the portrait that led out of the Griffindor common room. 

Just outside James found himself being tackled from behind. When he turned he was an out of breath Lily Evans and smirked a little. 

Panting she said scornfully, " Don't flatter yourself Potter, that was not an attempt to…how did you put it last week…be on the top…I just decided to take you up on your offer for a walk." James looked even happier at this. 

He linked arms with Lily and pulled her towards the staircase, blabbering on about snowshoes and hot cocoa and "awesome warm scarves!" Lily just laughed and for once did not mind the fact that James had gotten her away from her homework. 

Smiling she held their arms a little tighter and mentioned that hot cocoa was not complete without marshmallows and soon found herself being pulled towards a painting of a giant fruit bowl with a pear that was being mercilessly tickled. 

Half an hour later Lily found herself on the edge of the Forbidden Forest with a pair of snowshoes and a very nice walking companion. It seemed to Lily that James really did appreciate the snow because the whole time they had been out here they had walked around in a comfortable silence, each of them taking in the beauty of their surroundings. 

However she did feel compelled to break the silence and apologize for yelling at him earlier. 

_I know I can be…difficult, when it comes to doing work…_Lily thought while they continued their stroll. 

As a momentous event was about to occur, the apologizing of Lily Evans to James Potter, he stopped and said, " Do you want to stop here for cocoa? I know a spell that'll keep us warm for a little while." 

Surprised that he wanted to stop already when she thought they were still close to the school, Lily looked around and soon realized they must have been trekking for a much longer time then she had realized. 

Taking in their surroundings Lily felt very happy that she had decided to come out with James. They had stopped on a small hill that Lily had never seen before. Turning in a slow circle she realized that facing north you could see mountains and forests and a river for…Merlin only knows how far! Turning to face the way the pair had come from Lily sharply inhaled. It was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. 

From this distance she could see Hogwarts almost in its entirety. It looked like a fairy-tale castle with the snow capped turrets and the wondrous grounds. 

Turning to next look at the ice picnic James had set up Lily found herself thinking _And here's the prince_. 

Eyes wide Lily realized what she had just thought and whirled away from James. 

_He was being nice and that's all. You do NOT think of him as a prince because princes are nice and gallant and James is annoying, a troublemaker, and is only nice when he wants something. Even today he just wanted company for this trip, any girl would do but you were close by._ She thought furiously, there was no way she would be friends with James. 

Feeling more in control of her thoughts Lily returned to the sight of James and a blanket set out. However now he had added a thermos of what she assumed was the cocoa, two big mugs, and a bag of marshmallows, now he was pulling various snacks from the wicked basket. 

_Ok so maybe that was a bit harsh, he's not too bad, but he is no prince, not by any measure. _Lily thought, feeling bad that she had been so hard on him when he had planned this fun trip. 

Sighing because of her annoyance with her uncontrollable thoughts, Lily sat on the blanket and commented. 

" I didn't see you carrying that basket, where did it come from?" 

Chuckling James replied, " Now Lily I'm insulted… I may not like class but I do know how to Shrink a basket!" Sniffling and pretending to be hurt James did his best impression of one of those snobby girls that Lily despised, throwing his head around and making insulted noises. 

Laughing Lily rescinded, " I never said you couldn't do it, I just thought you wouldn't like the marshmallows once they had been shrunk and then brought back." Finally stopping his bad impression, James picked up the marshmallows and poked the bag experimentally. 

" They look fine to me." He said with a shrug. Snickering Lily challenged him to try one. 

Never one to bad down from a dare James opened the bag with a flourish and popped three into his mouth. 

At first Lily could tell he didn't taste the difference, but she was patient. 

Moments later his face began to fall as he struggled to keep the marshmallows in his mouth, refusing to lose the dare. Lily just fell back laughing at the sight of his tortured face. 

Finally James spit them out into the snow and covered the once good, now turned evil, treat with snow. 

" What's wrong with them!" He asked with a terrified expression on his face. 

_After all it wasn't every day that his favorite candy turned against him. _Lily thought with a chuckle, her previous internal battle now forgotten. 

" If you had paid attention in Charms yesterday you would have remembered that the lesson was about how pure sugar cannot be changed by a spell and then brought back to its original state without the flavor being changed." Lily recited with a smirk, " But then I suppose you couldn't absorb that information with your head attached to the desk and droll on the parchment that was supposed to be used for notes." 

James smiled sheepishly and resumed the removable of food from his basket. But his stance was a little different. 

_Like he wants to avoid the subject… _Lily thought with a frown, recalling her question from the previous day. 

Casually she poured herself some cocoa and asked, " So why did you fall asleep? Did whatever you snuck out for all night leave you tired?" She glanced sideways to see his reaction. 

A bit tense, James replied, " Just setting up another prank Evans." Now Lily was sure that it was something else. 

Pressing him, she continued, " Except that you go out the same time every month, and no prank has ever happened soon after, if anything it's the opposite, after you go out the pranks stop for a week or so." 

Sighing with a heaviness that did not match his age or personality, James replied, "Its not my place to tell you anything… can we just drop it please?" 

Surprised and missing the happy go lucky James; Lily nodded and then smiled having figured out a way to get back the fun James that she was shocked to realize she liked better then this aged James. 

" You know" She began, sneakily reaching into the bag to grab a handful the sugary treat, " in class someone mentioned one thing that marshmallows are still good for even when they taste bad." Intrigued, James looked up from his pensive state to find himself being bombarded with white candies. 

The mischievous look back in his eye, James threatened chidingly, " Oh that was a mistake, NOW you're going to get it!" 

Shrieking the pair engaged in a battle of epic proportions, even if those proportions where marshmallow sized. 

After an hour in the winter wonderland that James had found, Lily suggested that they return so that they wouldn't miss dinner. 

Another surprise of the day was that Lily found herself begrudging the fact that they had to leave. 

Sighing she realized that for the trek home she would be having a large argument with the different voices in her head. 

_I hope the voices don't mean I'm going insane…_Lily thought, but hurrying to catch up with a waving James. _But then again maybe I'm insane already if I'm enjoying James' company…_

After de-snowifying themselves in the entrance hall, Lily found herself walking towards the Great Hall with a marauder when she felt more snow falling on her head. 

" Really James," She said exasperatedly, " I'm already snowy as it is!" 

Turning a faint red James muttered, " Its not me...it's the…" trailing off he pointed above her head. 

Confused about what would make him embarrassed, Lily looked up to find herself a victim of one of the floating mistletoe that poured snow on your head until you were kissed. 

Turning a darker shade of red then James she muttered, " Oh crap." 

Despite the awkward situation Lily saw James smile at the fact that the ever-righteous Lily Evans had just sworn. 

Turning a color closer to Lily's shade of red, James asked quietly, " Maybe it'll go away if I just kiss you on the cheek?" Nodding her permission, James leaned in slowly and gave her a small peck. 

Not even needing to look up, Lily knew the snow-shedding thing of hell was still above her. 

Sighing, Lily said, " This thing isn't going to go away…so it's ok for you to kiss me as long as you behave." 

Despite all of his past attempts to get Lily to date him, James was a bit hesitant in kissing her, making Lily wonder if he had a little bit of a gentleman inside him after all. 

Caught up in her thoughts, Lily was barely aware that James was about to kiss her until he was a few centimeters away. He paused and Lily realized he wanted her to come forward to make sure it was ok. 

Smiling inwardly at his rarely shown shyness, she leaned in and James kissed her for a moment, a polite and respectful kiss, but she thought it was nice kiss nonetheless. 

Looking up hopefully, she sighed with content as the mistletoe floated away to torture some other unsuspecting person. 

As they continued up towards the Great Hall James chuckled quietly. A bit confused as to what was the joke. Lily turned her head inquiringly toward him. 

Catching her look James explained, " You always said no to going out with me, but its when we're friends that I get a kiss." Laughing too, rather then being angry, Lily punched him lightly and said, " Don't get used to it." Before the pair entered the Great Hall and took their usual seats with their separate friends, at the middle of the table. 

Lily used to be annoyed with the fact that their seats were close to each other when she would spend a lot of her time avoiding him and would normally sit as far away from James as possible. However after today she decided he could be trusted a bit, and sat in the middle of her friends, not close to James, but closer then before. 

**I hope you all like this story, and if you would like me to continue the series (I'll be referring to it as the Of… series) then please review and tell me so!**   
**Even if you don't want to see another PLEASE PLEASE review!!! I'll give you a cookie!**


End file.
